Today’s Word
Courage Under Fire
“ . . . and if I perish, I perish.” Esther 4:16 NASB Perish – Would you die for the cause? I imagine your answer will be conditioned by an assessment of the cause. Is it worth dying for? But what if you believe you will die either way? If you choose to stand up…
Pathological Arrogance
The wicked, in his haughtiness, does not seek Him. There is no God in all his schemes. Psalm 10:4 NASB electronic web edition Haughtiness – Haughty is not a common word in modern usage. We associate it with 19th Century English Romantic literature (like the book Pride and Prejudice). The synonym “proud” still finds a place in our speech, but…
Messy Matters
For You have abandoned Your people, the house of Jacob, because they are filled with influences from the east, Isaiah 2:6a NASB Your people – A statement from Yehezkel Kaufmannn’s book, The Religion of Israel, caused me to pose a question to the rabbi of Parma. Kaufmann wrote: “After the prophet depicts the end-time, he turns to reproach…
Carry That Weight
For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief. Ecclesiastes 1:18 NIV Grief – It’s the weight that hurts. The deep sense of sadness. Not just about the world’s mad dash toward destruction. Not just the unspeakable evil perpetrated upon the voiceless masses. Not just the moral inequity of economic and…
Divine Prohibition
For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief. Ecclesiastes 1:18 NIV Grief – Stay stupid! Is that the solution to the problem? If Qohelet is right, wisdom and knowledge are the last things we would seek. They only bring sorrow and grief. Despite our disclaimers to the contrary, I’m pretty…
The Feelings Wheel
For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief. Ecclesiastes 1:18 NIV Sorrow – Yesterday we asked, “How can wisdom, a good thing, generate sorrow, a bad thing?” Maybe we should have questioned the translation before we questioned the ethics. In Hebrew, the word translated “sorrow” (NIV) is kaʿas. Other English…
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